I posted this in another thread and thought it might help in its own thread if people use the forum search. you can downgrade to many of the older ios versions aslong as you have the shsh blobs for that ios version and create a custom ipsw with its shsh blobs attached. I have used 5.0.1 as the ios i want to downgrade to in this turtoral so just switch it to whichever you want to downgrade to. This should also work for downgrading older ios versions ie 5.0.1 to x.x and so on.
Note, this tutorial will not work with apple A5 devices Iphone 4s and Ipad 2! If you have upgraded your apple A5 devcice Iphone 4s or Ipad 2 to ios 5.1 it is irreversible and currently an A5 device can only be restored to the latest ios. This tutorial will work with apple A4 devices iPhone 4, 3GS, iPad 1 and the ipod touch.
1) First of all you need the shsh blobs for 5.0.1 or the ios version you want to downgrade to, (shsh blobs are what apple sign there ios ipsw's with to verify them and itunes usally contacts apple to gather these and verify your install but once a new ios is released apple stop signing the previous ios versions and so when itunes contacts apple it cannot find them so it does not allow you to install, so what you need to do is create an ipsw that already has the shsh blobs attached to it so itunes doesn't need to contact apple.
2) to get your shsh blobs follow this members tutorial (Thanks f4780y) and you should see an shsh blob for 5.0.1, but if tinyumberella does not find the shsh blob for the ios version you want to downgrade to you will have to find them elsewhere but im not going to cover that here. The rest of this tutorial assumes you have the shsh blobs for the ios version you want to restore/downgrade to.
3) Download the official apple 5.0.1 ipsw or the official ipsw for the ios version you want, you can get the official ipsw's for your device type from here and make sure you remember where you saved it.
4) Now download redsn0w from here for mac and from here for windows
5) Now open redsn0w and go to extra>shsh blobs>stich and this is where you will create your custom ipsw with the shsh blobs attached to it. Click "ipsw" and select the 5.0.1 ipsw or the ipsw for the ios you selected and downloaded earlier, and then click "local" and select the 5.0.1 shsh blob you found with tiny umberrala earlier or the shsh blob for the ios version you selected, if you don't know where your shsh blobs folder is open tinyumberrella and click advanced and it tells you what directory your shsh blobs are saved to. And then let it do its thing and once its finished it will tell you your ipsw was created and will put it in the same folder as the original ipsw with a bunch of numbers before it.
6) Now you need to get your device into "Dfu Mode" and then "Pwned Dfu mode", you alway need to get your device into "Pwned Dfu Mode" to enable itunes to downgrade/restore to a custom ipsw, itunes won't allow you to restore to the ipsw you've created earlier without your device being in "Pwned Dfu Mode" and you can't enter "Pwned Dfu Mode" without first putting your device into "Dfu Mode" (heres a thread about "dfu mode" thanks f4780y), luckily redsn0w guides you through how to do this so first make sure your device is plugged into the computer via usb, and then open "redsn0w" and go to extras>pwned dfu and follow the instructions redsn0w gives you to get into "dfu mode". (note "dfu mode"is not the same as "pwned dfu mode" but you need to get into "dfu mode" first to allow "redsn0w" to put your device into "pwned dfu mode". If you follow "redsn0ws" instruction correctly "redsn0w" should tell you your device is now in "pwned dfu mode" and ready for itunes to restore with a custom ipsw. (If it errors on the timers to get into dfu mode go back and start again) remember unless "redsn0w" confirms your device is in "Pwned Dfu Mode" you have done something wrong so restart the "redsn0w" "pwned dfu" steps.
7) Now open itunes (it should say your device is in recovery mode) and click your iphone and then (shift + left click "restore" for windows) or (alt + left click "restore" for mac) and a file browsing window should pop up, and now you browse to your custom ipsw with the bunch of numbers before it that you created with redsn0w earlier and select that. and if you have done everything correctly itunes should now restore your device to 5.0.1 or the ios version your trying to downgrade to.
8) You should now have a factory default 5.0.1 ios device or whatever ios you selected. Now to jailbreak simply plug your device in via usb, open "redsn0w", click jailbreak, follow the instruction, select install cydia and now your jailbroken again . Or use your own prefered jailbreak method.
I have used these steps multiple times without a problem so if it doesn't work you've done something wrong, hope this helps you downgrade/restore your device
And if any senior members notice something i've missed i will be happy to hear and correct it.
Note, this tutorial will not work with apple A5 devices Iphone 4s and Ipad 2! If you have upgraded your apple A5 devcice Iphone 4s or Ipad 2 to ios 5.1 it is irreversible and currently an A5 device can only be restored to the latest ios. This tutorial will work with apple A4 devices iPhone 4, 3GS, iPad 1 and the ipod touch.
1) First of all you need the shsh blobs for 5.0.1 or the ios version you want to downgrade to, (shsh blobs are what apple sign there ios ipsw's with to verify them and itunes usally contacts apple to gather these and verify your install but once a new ios is released apple stop signing the previous ios versions and so when itunes contacts apple it cannot find them so it does not allow you to install, so what you need to do is create an ipsw that already has the shsh blobs attached to it so itunes doesn't need to contact apple.
2) to get your shsh blobs follow this members tutorial (Thanks f4780y) and you should see an shsh blob for 5.0.1, but if tinyumberella does not find the shsh blob for the ios version you want to downgrade to you will have to find them elsewhere but im not going to cover that here. The rest of this tutorial assumes you have the shsh blobs for the ios version you want to restore/downgrade to.
3) Download the official apple 5.0.1 ipsw or the official ipsw for the ios version you want, you can get the official ipsw's for your device type from here and make sure you remember where you saved it.
4) Now download redsn0w from here for mac and from here for windows
5) Now open redsn0w and go to extra>shsh blobs>stich and this is where you will create your custom ipsw with the shsh blobs attached to it. Click "ipsw" and select the 5.0.1 ipsw or the ipsw for the ios you selected and downloaded earlier, and then click "local" and select the 5.0.1 shsh blob you found with tiny umberrala earlier or the shsh blob for the ios version you selected, if you don't know where your shsh blobs folder is open tinyumberrella and click advanced and it tells you what directory your shsh blobs are saved to. And then let it do its thing and once its finished it will tell you your ipsw was created and will put it in the same folder as the original ipsw with a bunch of numbers before it.
6) Now you need to get your device into "Dfu Mode" and then "Pwned Dfu mode", you alway need to get your device into "Pwned Dfu Mode" to enable itunes to downgrade/restore to a custom ipsw, itunes won't allow you to restore to the ipsw you've created earlier without your device being in "Pwned Dfu Mode" and you can't enter "Pwned Dfu Mode" without first putting your device into "Dfu Mode" (heres a thread about "dfu mode" thanks f4780y), luckily redsn0w guides you through how to do this so first make sure your device is plugged into the computer via usb, and then open "redsn0w" and go to extras>pwned dfu and follow the instructions redsn0w gives you to get into "dfu mode". (note "dfu mode"is not the same as "pwned dfu mode" but you need to get into "dfu mode" first to allow "redsn0w" to put your device into "pwned dfu mode". If you follow "redsn0ws" instruction correctly "redsn0w" should tell you your device is now in "pwned dfu mode" and ready for itunes to restore with a custom ipsw. (If it errors on the timers to get into dfu mode go back and start again) remember unless "redsn0w" confirms your device is in "Pwned Dfu Mode" you have done something wrong so restart the "redsn0w" "pwned dfu" steps.
7) Now open itunes (it should say your device is in recovery mode) and click your iphone and then (shift + left click "restore" for windows) or (alt + left click "restore" for mac) and a file browsing window should pop up, and now you browse to your custom ipsw with the bunch of numbers before it that you created with redsn0w earlier and select that. and if you have done everything correctly itunes should now restore your device to 5.0.1 or the ios version your trying to downgrade to.
8) You should now have a factory default 5.0.1 ios device or whatever ios you selected. Now to jailbreak simply plug your device in via usb, open "redsn0w", click jailbreak, follow the instruction, select install cydia and now your jailbroken again . Or use your own prefered jailbreak method.
I have used these steps multiple times without a problem so if it doesn't work you've done something wrong, hope this helps you downgrade/restore your device
And if any senior members notice something i've missed i will be happy to hear and correct it.
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